Three feet to the left?
Does that imply a change of position? Which implies a shifting of perspective?
Or does it mean that there are three human feet, all of them to the left of some center point of reference? Are all three feet, in fact, left feet? Or might they exist in some combination of sideness, two left and one right or vice versa? I suppose it's possible all three of these displaced feet could belong to the same owner. It might also be possible they could all three be physically attached to his or her person as well, or perhaps none of them.
I suppose, according to the blurb at the top of the page, that three feet to the left implies the former and not the latter. Movement rather than a tableau of possibly disembodied feet. Although "left" is such a perspective-centric term. Sometimes your left is my right, or forward. But then, maybe this reliance on individual perspective is an important aspect of the phrase? Three feet to the west sounds more authoritative, implying that everyone must move in the same direction, perhaps in lockstep, whereas personal perspective allows for more freedom. Don't like the look of things to your left? Does three feet to the right look more attractive? Then simply turn around before stepping to your left.
Don't ask me why I decided to type all of that when maybe it would have been better to formally introduce myself. I probably did it because I should be packing things in order to move my job and my life to a different location. And while I don't abhor the thought of moving my job or my life somewhere else, I do abhor the thought of moving all of my things to a different location. It's funny how the average trend seems to be for people to always think they need more stuff, when the truth can just as easily be that what we actually need is less stuff. Isn't it the Buddhists that caution greatly against letting things own you? Ah well, back to packing things I don't need.
A hearty "Well met" to any that care to receive it.
And by the way Eileen, my wife says hi.
Does that imply a change of position? Which implies a shifting of perspective?
Or does it mean that there are three human feet, all of them to the left of some center point of reference? Are all three feet, in fact, left feet? Or might they exist in some combination of sideness, two left and one right or vice versa? I suppose it's possible all three of these displaced feet could belong to the same owner. It might also be possible they could all three be physically attached to his or her person as well, or perhaps none of them.
I suppose, according to the blurb at the top of the page, that three feet to the left implies the former and not the latter. Movement rather than a tableau of possibly disembodied feet. Although "left" is such a perspective-centric term. Sometimes your left is my right, or forward. But then, maybe this reliance on individual perspective is an important aspect of the phrase? Three feet to the west sounds more authoritative, implying that everyone must move in the same direction, perhaps in lockstep, whereas personal perspective allows for more freedom. Don't like the look of things to your left? Does three feet to the right look more attractive? Then simply turn around before stepping to your left.
Don't ask me why I decided to type all of that when maybe it would have been better to formally introduce myself. I probably did it because I should be packing things in order to move my job and my life to a different location. And while I don't abhor the thought of moving my job or my life somewhere else, I do abhor the thought of moving all of my things to a different location. It's funny how the average trend seems to be for people to always think they need more stuff, when the truth can just as easily be that what we actually need is less stuff. Isn't it the Buddhists that caution greatly against letting things own you? Ah well, back to packing things I don't need.
A hearty "Well met" to any that care to receive it.
And by the way Eileen, my wife says hi.
-
Re: Three feet?
Sun, October 31, 2004 - 9:55 PMPlease tell me you're not Australian.
"So you're name's not Bruce then? That's going to cause a bit of confusion!" John Cleese -
-
Re: Three feet?
Sun, October 31, 2004 - 10:12 PMNot Australian, though I'd love to visit the place someday.
I was born and raised in Texas. The one in America. Yes, that one. Despite the oft repeated Python sketch, I still associate Bruce most strongly with its Scottish roots. If I remember correctly, my first name used to be some Scottish guy's last name. And at one point was a title of royalty. At any rate, I was given the name because it is the name my grandfather had. Thank goodness he wasn't named Sue.
Or, to put it another way... If you're MS, then you know me as redneck.
My favorite (non-scripted) thing John Cleese said was in response to a talk show host asking him (during a bit devoted to asking inane questions based on the guest du jour)
"British food, why does it suck?"
Cleese's response: "Look, we had an empire to run." -
-
Re: Three feet?
Sun, October 31, 2004 - 10:24 PMYo Bruce!
You mean Robert the Bruce? I think he was king of Australia, married to Cheryl the Sheila.
British food...there's a Glen Baxter cartoon showing the pinnacle of British technology: a machine that turns British school meals back into food.
-
-
-
G'Day Bruce... (I'll hide this up here because no-one uses Subject lines much on tribe)
Mon, November 1, 2004 - 6:36 AMPerspective-centrist, eh? Did you know that I don't have a good immediate grasp of left/right? I can wing it by reading other cues, or figure it out by working through strange backwards derivations, but I don't bother unless I have to. So, without even turning around, you could shift three feet to the right and if you ended up somewhere interesting, I'd likely not notice that you got there the *wrong* way.
ARE you going to end up somewhere interesting? The job decision's been made, I take it... are houses, gardens, suburbs, schools, parks, etc all still to be decided, or have you nailed down every last detail?
Say hello to Tigress from me - long time no see... and best wishes to the whole mob for the move! -
-
Re: G'Day Bruce... (I'll hide this up here because no-one uses Subject lines much on tribe)
Mon, November 1, 2004 - 10:39 AMI have had to fall back on a left/right crutch a few times. Since we here in Americaland we drive on the right side of the road, I just envision myself driving and immediately know which way is right. There's another crutch where you hold up both hands pointing your index finger up and your thumbs inward. Whichever hand forms a capital letter "L" will be the left hand. L for left.
No job decision has been made beyond the fact we're probably not going to be able to stay here. There may be a job four hours north, in a much larger city (Dallas, Ivo's very temporary stomping grounds). It'd be green, though a bit flatter. I feel like, however, whatever job I had there wouldn't be as exciting as the one offered in Phoenix (the 'desert' option). I'm afraid I'm going to stagnate in my current role because I just don't feel the impetus to study and keep up on all the latest technology. The place in the desert has made it clear they want to let me branch out into other areas (specifically, design) if that's what I want. Which intrigues me a great deal. I've never been ambitious in my job because I've just never wanted to advance. A shift of goals might change that. And to be honest, while I'd miss the lush greenery a great deal, there's a very deep beauty to the southwest part of the U.S. as well. There's a lot out there I haven't seen that I've always wanted to see too. Mrs. T and I last night were talking about wanting to 'live' for a change, as we've felt somewhat stationary for a while here, as if we weren't moving forward. So, it's a move that definitely has its advantages. Still don't want to have to move all my junk, though some of it I can't bear parting with (yet!). -
-
Re: G'Day Bruce... (I'll hide this up here because no-one uses Subject lines much on tribe)
Mon, November 1, 2004 - 10:50 AMAvoid Dallas like the plague, would be my advice. It doesn't have anything going for it, ecept for the run-down charm of Sandy Lake Amusement Park (with the shittiest miniature golf course on the planet - golf balls would get stuck in the folds of the lining...).
Frankly, from listening to you I get the impression you're already gearing up for the move to pa-HOE-nix. Yes, that's the correct pronunciation. Good thing you can't see my face as I type.
As for Stuff...my big break with Stuff was when I moved to the USA. I boiled it down to 2 suitcases and 25 book boxes.
Good luck! -
-
Re: G'Day Bruce... (I'll hide this up here because no-one uses Subject lines much on tribe)
Tue, November 2, 2004 - 9:19 PMThe neatest thing I've seen in the little time I've spent in the DFW area was the Fort Worth water gardens.
I'm only at about 10 boxes of books currently. I have a fetish for miniature cars though, so that'd probably be another four or five boxes (thank goodness they're miniature). Well, there is the one full size toy car, my 1966 Mustang convertible. It may be expensive getting her out there, but I think I'd finally be making enough money to get her fixed up and drive around. There'd be several video game consoles, which are practically attached to my wrists, but they're small enough to be easily manageable. The bulkiest things I would have to move would be power tools. Several of them I got from my dad who had them for decades before I got them(yeah, they were made back when they actually built tools).
Clothes? I threw out a bunch today I haven't worn in years or that don't fit since I lost all that weight and noted that I now have about three suitcases worth.
Speaking of money, I'd be getting almost a 30% raise if I went there, that's really hard to ignore. I note that they have a state income tax, but that house taxes are less than half what we pay here even for homes costing half again as much, so a state income tax wouldn't sting as much.
If anybody has any experience living in a desert clime, I'd love to hear what they thought about it. -
-
Living in the desert
Thu, November 4, 2004 - 5:03 PMDuring the summer you'll find that it's a good idea to arrange your life so as to avoid the mid-afternoon sun. Do your grocery shopping when the sun is down if at all possible. I do mine before dawn, but I don't know if the stores are open at that hour where you'll be living. During the winter, when you heat your home, you'll also need to humidify it or terrible things will happen to your skin. You may also have to use moisturizing lotions.
-
-
-
*he-he*
Mon, November 8, 2004 - 2:29 PMI do the "imagine myself driving" thing, too. Funnily enough, that's the main worry I'd have about driving somewhere on teh wrong side of the road - I'd be ok changing the physical habit (the driver's seat being on the wrong side of the car would help), but the confusion would flow into other habits dependant upon it... My other main technique is to pick up a pen - an imaginary one will do - then that's my right hand. The L thing would never work for me - I read through glass as easily as I read up-side down, and neither one would look wrong. I don't *write* back-to-front, though (or not unintentionally).
The desert option does sound like it has an appeal... though a change of climate can be quite a shock to the system.
I'm musing over "junk" attachment - I often have trouble throwing stuff away from a static place, but I've never had any difficulty leaving it behind when I've decided to move. I wonder if it will make a difference to you when you're strongly focussed on a place to go to?
-
-
-
Unsu...
Re: Three feet?
Mon, November 1, 2004 - 7:03 AMAt one time I was a shop aholic....buying all sorts of stuff I didn't need! Now, I'm a thriftstore junkie, selling on ebay and getting rich.....haaa, well not really, but I could be!
Hello Redneck! It's good to see you here! *smile* -
-
Re: Three feet?
Mon, November 1, 2004 - 10:46 AMThere's a definite skill to buying stuff then selling it at a later time to increase one's monetary wealth. It seems to be a rare skill though, and one I'm not in possession of.
-
